


Futile

by AmberGlory



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-07 14:49:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6809812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberGlory/pseuds/AmberGlory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'The child she had just met, but who already meant so much to her, stared with a quizzed expression, not comprehending the serious tone this battle had acquired. They shook their head lightly, but Toriel could already feel her magic begin to form within her, and her palms grew hot.'</p><p>                                          [Or]</p><p>Each time Toriel had watched, heartbroken, as the children she had tried so desperately to save were ripped from her grip without a sound. </p><p>She could not let another fall into the cold and unforgiving of this underground world. And she intended to make this new child stay in her loving arms in any way necessary.</p><p>Even if it meant battle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Futile

        Toriel couldn't recall the last time she had felt so distraught.

She watched solemnly as the walls around her switched to a pitch black to signal a new battle. Scanning her own body she also noticed her color scheme had changed, now a pure white with a few blotches of black.

The child she had just met, but who already meant so much to her, stared with a quizzed expression, not comprehending the serious tone this battle had acquired. They shook their head lightly, but Toriel could already feel her magic begin to form within her, and her palms grew hot.

Fireballs rained, the child hostility dogging the attack, watching as it continued without mercy.

Toriel could feel her heart break at the sight. She couldn't stop the shaking of her body as the child was finally hit, them hissing as they tried to endure the pain. Her magic sputtered and fizzed, before fading.

She closed her eyes and patiently waited for the rush of wind the child would cause when they would strike back in defense.

A beat passed in tranquility. Toriel peaked, and drew a sharp intake of breath as the child shook their head once more, refusing to hurt her.

 _Fight back!_ She desperately wanted to scream. _If you do not, how will you fare if you make it past me?_ However, she kept her stiff composure, saying nothing as she charged another barrage of attacks.

More hit. Toriel averted her stare, seeing as the child was enveloped by a line of flames, which circled her menacingly. The child cried out, and Toriel's wiped a paw over her eyes.

She had seen this many times before; memories flashed as she recalled each child she had tried to prevent from facing death. They fought back with remorse, or they cried profusely, wailing to know why their mother-like figure was attacking them.

But all this child did was stand firm. Though scorch marks now littered their clothes and parts of their frail body, they stood tall without a word. Determination was a confusing thing to Toriel, but it still somewhat amazed her.

_You act just like her. Quiet, composed, and mysterious._

She lifted her paws once more, signaling that she was not going to end the fight. The child nodded, but still held their soft hands in surrender. Toriel fought to keep her mouth a thin line, but nevertheless it still wavered.

Toriel watched as the child's movements slowed to a crawl. Her head whipped to the now visible HP bar, which was lowering with significant speed.

The goat woman gasped and flung her hands to either side, watching as the flames flew away from her precious child and towards the dark walls. The magic dissipated on contact, swirling colors turning into a white steam.

Toriel sighed, pressing a paw against her chest. She tilted her head above, but the grasp on her clock tightened as she saw the child, who was gingerly digging through their pockets.

With shaking hands they took out a familiar pie of Butterscotch Pie, holding the silver fork with the tip of their dirty nails. The savored each bite, remembering just moments ago when they were treated with love and affection by the being now trying to fight hem to make them stay.

Toriel felt the occurrence of a wet substance on her face. She hastily rubbed her tears away, trying to forget the wrongs she was doing.

It was all for a purpose, though! If they left, they would be captured and brought to the king to be killed on sight.

The plate clattering to the ground brought her attention back to the fight in progress. Toriel sneered as the child refused to fight again.

"What are you doing?" the first words she had spoken since the world around them had turned black, and even she had to strain to hear her impatient voice.

She shot her signature attack, and couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as the child now dodged the attack with ease. But it fused back into annoyance as they did not dart forward. The fire was bright on her palms as she curled them.

Toriel snorted. "Attack or run away!" she ordered, stern.

The child flinched at the tone, but planted her feet firmly in the ground, refusing to move back into the place they in a way now considered a home.

 _Please,_ the child rolled from another attack, the flames grasping over their clothing. "What are you proving this way?"

 _I do not want to hurt you, my child._ She whipped her white claws, another barrage of magic heading towards the child she already loved. The brilliant red of their soul flew with their form as they moved out of the way yet again.

As if they were a broken record, the shook their head the same way they had done the times before. "Fight me or leave!" with her words came more fire, and an equal amount of movement.

 _I cannot bare seeing you fall when you won't defend._ The child was now limping, starting to falter in their movements.

They still refused to fight.

"Stop it." Toriel whispered, revolve shattering as she feebly tried to persuade the child to change their ways. A shake, and now they stared up at her with glossy eyes. "Stop looking at me that way."

The flames were orderly, snaking in two lines toward the child. "Leave me alone!" Toriel pleaded, straining to keep her magic in check.

But they refused.

Toriel shuddered, and pushed her magic far apart, refusing to watch as the magic missed her child entirely. She opened her eyelids, a deep frown settling upon her features.

It then morphed into a sharp grin. "Pathetic, is it not?" she questioned. "I cannot save even a single child."

_Not even my own flesh and blood._

The child remained curious, waiting for her to continue. Toriel once again felt a sense of sadness stiff within her. "No, I understand." she spoke softly. "You would just be unhappy trapped down there." She scanned over the room they had begun their battle in. "The Ruins are very small once you get used to them."

She grazed her paw over the walls. "It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this."

"My expectations...my loneliness...my fear..." she recalled memories of children before, them all in the same situation her new child was in now. They were so kind, yet so vulnerable...

But not this one.

"For you, my child...I will put them aside." And finally, to her great happiness, the child raced towards her. Toriel opened her arms wide, inviting the small one for a loving hug.

A line of unsettling dark red appeared. Then a bright red flash invaded her sight. Everywhere she stared sat the repeated number of nine, which shook almost constantly. She hesitantly reached for it, but before she could her hand curled.

Toriel's senses came back with a shock. Her legs crumpled beneath her, now unable to hold her frame. She cried out as a number of harsh stabs hit her head and stomach, though she did not see anyone attacking.

The pain finally subsided, and the goat gingerly touched her cheek, only to discover a large gash that ran down to her neck, though nothing was seeping through. With a shaking gaze she looked up, and shock turned to realization. The child remained mute as they locked down on her, the pointed toy knife squarely in their grasp.

"You..." Toriel began, gasping as her throat began to close up. "at my most vulnerable moment..."

Her head dropped, and she released a raspy laugh as the new conclusion of this battle. "To think I was worried you wouldn't fit out there..." Her words subsided into delusional giggles as her eyes sparkled with life despite the fatal cuts on her body.

"You're no different than them!"

_Than Asgore. The pitiful whelp who would kill instead of find another way._

The child remained still, cold stance haven hardened further. "Ha...ha..." Toriel's voice died as a dull look loomed over her once bright violet pupils.

Toriel stifled a cracked chuckle, then sighed as she witnessed the lower half of her body begin to dissolve into shimmering dust.

The ruins had held an eerie silence for a while now, hadn't they?


End file.
